Download "Davy Jones (1945 - 2012) - Who Was It"

A sad and major loss to the pop music world on Feb. 29, 2012 when Davy Jones (famous for being in the tv singing sensation The Monkees) died of a massive heart attack at age 66. The Manchester, England born Jones had been performing in theater in his years as a child before coming over to the US to star in the musical Oliver on Broadway as the Artful Dodger where he'd be nominated for a Tony award. It was while performing on Broadway Davy would land a recording contract for a small label, Colpix, where he would record and release an album launching his career as a pop icon. Almost immediately after, Jones was given the part in an upcoming tv series called The Monkees. A show about an out of work rock band living in an LA beach house. The show's groundbreaking techniques marrying video and music undoubtedly inspired what would later become MTV and the music video as we know it today. Although critics smeared the Monkees as being no-talent show-biz trash who had others write and perform 'their' music, The Monkees (also Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Micky Dolenz) would break the limitations of tv and actually become a real recording group releasing album after album outselling The Beatles and the Rolling Stones combined in 1967 (four number one albums in a matter of months). The tv series went off the air in early 1968 and the Monkees stuck around for another three years before finally calling a quits (only Dolenz and Jones remained at the time). In the 70s Davy would make various appearances on television, most notably his 1971 guest spot on the Brady Bunch. The same year Jones issued an album titled simply, Davy Jones, which would surprisingly go unnoticed, however one of its singles, Girl, (sung by Jones on the Brady Bunch) will forever live on in the realm of pop music (an underrated pop piece I may add !). Most of the 70s found Davy struggling with his own career as he got a divorce from his first marriage and found it hard to maintain a solo career. Around this period Davy and Micky along with Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, two songwriters who penned some of the Monkees biggest hits embarked on an extensive tour performing around the world. By the early 80s Jones had become a hit in Japan (his biggest fan base) thanks to Monkees reruns. He would later come back to the US and join Peter and Micky for a 20th Anniversary tour celebrating the Monkees that would find the three of them on the road from 1986 till 1989 touring the world, as well as releasing new Monkees music. It was around this period that Jones finally got around to living out his life's ambition of becoming a jockey. Davy rode in various horse races and would eventually own a few horse stables himself where he'd frequently be found living out his equestrian dream. The 90s found Davy once again recording and writing his own music as always (so much was never released until now) until he once again reunited with his bandmates for a 30th Anniversary Monkees tour. At the turn of the 21st century, Davy continued to tour by himself, reunite with his Monkee friends, and release music more than ever until his death. Although the public viewed Davy as the one who just beat a tambourine, Davy's musical abilities ranged farther than simply 'banging a tambourine'. Davy himself could arrange and compose music as well as play the guitar and bass, as well as taking stabs at the drums. By the way, playing the tambourine looks easy, but you just try to even get a good rhythm and sound on it ! The song that goes to the slideshow is the b-side of a single Davy did for MGM in 1972, Who Was It. Lyrics - Gilbert O'Sullivan Arranged by Tommy Oliver Produced by Tony Scotti for Kip Walton Productions Copyright MAM (Music Publishing Corp., - ASCAP) Audio NOT AT ALL MY WORK. Copyright MGM Music.